I absolutely love this. It is, for a chardonnay drinker, a dessert wine, and I drink an entire bottle to myself 😁😇🤣🤕. — 4 months ago
Loved this white from Greece. We tasted side by side with the same grapes but from the north of Greece, wasn’t as good as this one! — 9 months ago
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars “Artemis” Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Napa Valley, California – USA 🇺🇸
Overview
Artemis is the gateway wine of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, one of Napa Valley’s most iconic producers, forever linked to the historic 1976 Judgment of Paris. The 2021 vintage is exceptionally polished and graceful, showcasing Napa valley-floor fruit with balance and finesse. Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with small percentages of Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot layered in for additional complexity and structure.
Aromas & Flavors
Welcoming aromas of baked blackberry, cassis, and black cherry unfold alongside cedar, subtle vanilla, graphite, mocha, and baking spice. As the wine opens in the glass, deeper secondary notes emerge while maintaining freshness and elegance.
Mouthfeel
Full-bodied with rounded tannins and balanced acidity. Silky textures glide effortlessly across the palate, finishing long with dark fruit, oak spice, and a refined herbaceous edge.
Food Pairings
Excellent with grilled ribeye, herb-crusted lamb, braised short ribs, hearty mushroom risotto, aged cheddar, or gouda.
Verdict
A graceful and refined Napa Cabernet that continues to demonstrate why Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars remains a benchmark producer. The 2021 Artemis is already entering a beautiful drinking window now, approachable, polished, and elegant, while still carrying enough structure to evolve further with additional aging.
Did You Know?
The original Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon won the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris, the blind tasting that shocked the wine world and helped establish Napa Valley among the great wine regions globally.
🍷 Personal Pick
This is exactly the kind of Napa Cabernet that reminds people elegance and power can absolutely coexist in the same bottle. Cheers! — 2 days ago
Such a brilliant Chardonnay! At $35, it stands alone AND is perfect with food. It caters to every palate. It's our new go-to! — 7 months ago
Santorini was-6. Dried grapes to make. My very favorite so far. Reminds me of Malbec. — a year ago
First a note about the 2012 Napa vintage. Good, right? Yes. While the fruit was abundant & nicely fruity, for me, lacked tannins, skin/juice ratio out of balance which created a lack of tannic depth and will not cellar like 13 or 14 etc..
When I visited w/ The Stag’s Leap Winery Winemaker, he told me, they normally make 75,000 cases of Artemis. In 12, they made 100,000 cases. They grow their own fruit but also contract fruit. While there are terms in their contracts w/ growers to refuse fruit, they could not refuse any. The fruit was that good. They even had to take Artemis out of tank early so they could finish their higher-end Cabernets.
This 12 JC Muds Kitchen was made by Charles Hendricks. His second to last vintage at JC. One of the more unknown & underrated Napa Winemakers. James & Coleen misstepped in the separation but understand Coleen’s reasons. Charles Hendricks Apprentice, went his own way. Can’t say I blame him, just not a fan of his post work. Ok, but not the follow up I wished.
Nose; a dark core of currants/cassis, ripe/lush, blackberries, both plums, mulberries, dark, sweet cherries, black raspberries, strawberries and haunting blueberries, softly, layered baking spices, anise to black licorice-liqueur, sandstone/limestone, steeped fruit tea, melted, dark chocolate baking bar, sweet tarriness, French espresso, withering/candied/slightly floral, dark & red flowers framed in lavender/violets.
The palate fruits are; ripe, juicy, fresh, dark core of; currants/cassis, ripe/lush, blackberries, both plums, mulberries, dark, sweet cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, haunting blueberries & pomegranate high tones. Softly, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, dark, mid spice intensity w/ heat, anise to black licorice-liqueur, sandstone/limestone, steeped fruit tea, melted, dark chocolate baking bar, sweet tarriness, French espresso, dry leather/tobacco, graphite, dark, rich earth with dry leaves, dry river stone, dry crushed limestone rocks, dry oak barrel shavings, withering/candied/slightly floral, dark & red flowers framed in lavender/violets, near perfect acidity with a well knitted/toned/balanced, elegant finish w/ great length that lasts two-minutes and long sets on spice & dry minerals. — 2 months ago
A near perfect Pizza or lasagne red. A gentle body, low tanins, with easy drinking. — 7 months ago
Artemis never disappoints. Full bodied. Dense. Dark fruits. Yum. — 2 years ago
John Malcolm
A lovely wine. Luscious cherries, plums, vanilla, mocha, and some cedar. A great wine for the price. Stag’s Leap always makes consistently fine wines. — a month ago